A shopper walks by Haynes Bros. Lumber Co. in Murfreesboro. A slice of the longtime business's land has been seized through eminent domain for a bridge.

Written by

Duane W. Gang
| The Tennessean

In the last legislative session, Tennessee lawmakers introduced nearly a half-dozen bills aimed at curbing the power of local governments that wanted to use eminent domain to seize private property.

One bill would have required local governments to provide property owners with more information about the eminent domain process. Another would have given a landowner the ability to repurchase property if a government agency doesn't use it within five years.

None of them passed. But the proposed legislation still may spur change. ...